Spring-clutch.



THQMAS DANIEL CARTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed February 23, 1907. Serial No. 359,022.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DANIEL CAR- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring-Clutches, of which the following is a complete specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spring clutches and more particularly to a spring clutch ha ing clamping members thereon adapted to support articles thercbetween without danger of marring them.

It is frequently desirable to provide supports for bench tools or other articles of ordinary daily use in laces of convenient access and it is the ob ect of this invention to provide a spring clutch adapted to be attached to a wall or other convenient sup ort and which is capable of gripping articles which cannot ordinarily, because of their construction. be hung up.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device capable of supporting articles in regard to which care must be taken to revent mar-ring or injuring, such as umrellas having expensive handles. and canes 'or other articles of ordinary use for which a convenient and safe support may be desired.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described in the s ecitication and more fully pointed out am defined in the ap ended claims.

11 the drawings: the figure is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention.

As shown in said drawings: a. back late 1 is provided which may be of any esired material, preferably metal, and if preferred may have any ornamental design thereon to give it an artistic ap earance. Said plate as shown is of greater ength than width and has its corners cut away, though the shape is immaterial, and is provided steach end with an aperture adapting it to be secured to a wall or other object forming its support. Extending longitudinally of said plate and ri idly engaged thereto by riveting, or in any otier preferred manner, is the strap 2, of metal, which is provided at its upper end with laterally directed arms 3. At. the lower end said strap is provided with an upturned book 4, forming a support for such articles as it may be desired to hang thereon, such for instance as coat hangers. Said strap is bent outwardly from the plate at two points intermediate its ends afiordiug an oil'set portion 5 which is thus raised a distance from the plate. Supported on the device thus formed is a sprin clamp comprising a resilient wire formed at its center to provide a coil 6 which is loosely engaged beneath the offset portion 5 of the strap, and the ends of which extend outwardly or forwardly from the bottom of the coil and are turned up wardly and inwardly in approximately parallel relation with each other and which project forwardly from the plate a sufficient distance to clamp an article therebetween. The extreme ends 8 of said wire are brought into close proximity to the plate and secured to the arms 3 of the strap. If desired and as shown the elampin members 7 may be pro vided with a soft, yielding covering 9 suc 1 as rubber tubing which acts to prevent marring articles held therebetween.

The operation is as follows: I'Vhen the device is suspended on its support the coil 6 is loosely engaged beneath the strap so that it is free to expand or contract to permit articles of different sizes to be engaged betv, een the clamping members. Owing to the resiliency of the coil said members are permitted considerable lateral movement while each remains in a lane approximately at right angles to the pliite thereby increasing its gripping eiiect. The hook at the bot-. tom of the strap affords a convenient place on which to hang articles capable of being hung thereon.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described the combination with a strap having an offset portion thereon, of a resilient coil beneath said oiiset integral witi said coil and projecting forward] of said strap.

2. iii a device of the class described the combination with a strap, of a resilient coil on one side thereof, and clamping members integral with said coil and extending on the opposite side of the strap therefrom and connected to said strap.

3. In a device of the class described the combination with a back plate of a strap thereon, having an offset central portion, a coil loosely supported between said plate and oil'set portion and clamping members extending forwardly from said coil on either side of the strap and connected at their ends to said strap.

4. In a device of the class described the ortion and clamping members g emcee In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name 111 the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS DANIEL CARTER.-

combination with a back late of a strap thereon having a central ofi' et portion, a resilient coil engaged beneath sald ofi'set portion and having-its ends bent outwardly beyond the strap and adapted to clamp an Witnesses:

article therebetween, and a covering for said ROBT; KLoTz, 7 ends. A.- R. GUSTAFSON; 

